Q&A

A recurring Link every two years serves to establish a strong employee shareholding policy that strengthens the position of employees in the Group’s share capital and increases the ratio of employee shareholders.

This biennial fixture will allow employees to invest more regularly in the Group and therefore smooth their investment over the long term.

The Board of Directors has adopted a biennial recurrence of the Link operation.
However, each operation will have to be adopted by a resolution of the General Meeting of Shareholders or by a new decision of the Board of Directors.

In principle, yes but, in practice, each operation will be subject to the prior approval of the General Meeting and the Board of Directors.

• All employees holding an employment contract at the end of the cancellation period, i.e., 18 November 2022, with a company that is part of the ENGIE PEGI and who have at least three months’ service, whether consecutive or not, by this date.

These three months’ service can be acquired during the period from 1 January 2021 through to the last day of the cancellation period (scheduled for 18 November 2022) via several employment contracts and potentially at several companies within the Group.

Pursuant to the provisions of Council Regulation (EU) No 833/2014 and Council Regulation (EU) No 765/2006, as amended, the LINK 2022 option is not available to Russian nationals and natural persons residing in Russia, or to Belarusian nationals and natural persons residing in Belarus, unless they are nationals of a Member State of the European Union or natural persons in possession of a temporary or permanent residence permit for a Member State of the European Union.

In short:

Eligible employees	Ineligible employees
Fixed-term contract ≥ 3 months’ service	All employees < 3 months’ service
Permanent contract ≥ 3 months’ service	Interns
Professional development contract ≥ 3 months’ service	Temporary staff
Work-study contract ≥ 3 months’ service
Suspended contract ≥ 3 months’ service

Yes, an employee on a fixed-term contract can take part providing he is on the payroll of one of the companies participating in Link on 18 November 2022 and has 3 months’ service.

These three months’ service can be acquired during the period from 1 January 2021 through to the last day of the cancellation period (scheduled for 18 November 2022) via several employment contracts and potentially at several companies within the Group.

No, such a person does not have an employment contract with a company within the ENGIE Group and therefore cannot take part in the operation.

Yes, the expatriate/impatriate will subscribe to the option in his host country in which he pays tax. 

If his host country does not take part in Link, he can take part in the operation for the option offered within the framework of the PEG or PEGI in his country of origin providing he is still under contract with the employer that is part of the PEG or PEGI, even if this employment contract has been suspended and he has received no remuneration from this employer (in which case, he will have to confirm which tax and social security system is applicable to him).

However, if the expatriate/impatriate has the status of a “US person”, he may not subscribe to FCPE units within the framework of this operation.

No, it is not sufficient to have worked for more than 3 months for the Group: this work must have been performed in your capacity as an employee and the person must still have employee status with the company that is part of ENGIE PEG on 18 November 2022.

No, employees that leave the Group during the reservation period cannot take part in Link because, in order to take part, you must be an employee of a company that is part of ENGIE PEG at the end of the cancellation period, i.e., on 18 November 2022.

No, since you have to be on the payroll of a company that is part of ENGIE PEGI on 18 November 2022.

Yes, employees that are working their notice can take part in Link providing they are still on the payroll of a company that is part of ENGIE PEGI on 18 November 2022 and they meet the 3 months’ service condition.

Yes, because the option is open to each employee on an individual basis.

• You invest a sum in euros. Based on this investment, the number of free shares under the matching contribution system is calculated as follows:
  
  • For the personal contribution portion up to 200 euros (or its equivalent in the local currency at the exchange rate set on the date of the decision setting the Link 2022 cancellation period), the number of free shares is 200%; and
  • For the personal contribution portion between 201 and 300 euros (or its equivalent in the local currency at the exchange rate set on the date of the decision setting the Link 2022 cancellation period), the number of free shares is 50%.
• The total allocation of free shares is calculated by adding the amounts calculated for each portion.
• This amount is divided by the price of one share and rounded down to the next whole number to ascertain the number of free shares to which the participant is entitled.

Example:
I invest €450 in Link Classic.
The reference price is €12.
The price of a share is €12 - 20 % = €9.6 

For the personal contribution portion up to €200, I receive a €400 matching contribution.
For the personal contribution portion from €201 to €300, I receive a €50 matching contribution, making a total matching contribution of € 450.
I will therefore receive from ENGIE €450 / €9.6 = 46 free shares after rounding down to the nearest whole number. 

For investments above €300, I will not receive any further free shares. 

Total:
46 free shares

Your personal contribution is at least €10 in Link Multiple or Link Classic.

Your total payments should not exceed 25% of your gross annual remuneration for 2022 (including allowances, bonuses, etc.).

For the ceiling of 25 % of the gross annual remuneration:
To check that your contribution does not exceed the authorised ceiling, you must check that:

1 x Personal contribution in Link Classic

+

10 x Personal contribution in Link Multiple
(corresponding to 1 x your personal contribution + 9 times for the bank supplement)

 

≤ 25 % of your gross annual remuneration for 2022

A simulator is available for you to check that the investment you are envisaging is below these ceilings.

You gross annual remuneration comprises your annual salary, your allowances and your bonuses received in 2022.

The username is your professional email address. If you have any issues with it, get in touch with your Link Manager.

The Link Manager (with the power to delegate) will have access to the subscription site, which will enable him to re-send the access codes.

As regards your username, contact your Link Manager.
The Link Manager (with the power to delegate) will have access to the subscription site, which will enable him to send you your username. 

As regards your password, it is possible to directly regenerate a password on the subscription site.

The employee will continue to be liable to ENGIE and his employer for payment of any unpaid sums, and the employer may, subject to the applicable legal conditions, deduct from his salary and, in the event of termination of the employment contract, from the sums owed on any outstanding account, the amount of the sums thus advanced. In the event of an unsettled payment incident, ENGIE may buy back all of the FCPE units subscribed under Link 2022

If you wish to request an early release under the group international savings scheme for your country, contact your employer, who will describe the stages of the process and the supporting documents to be provided.

The early release scenarios are described in the local supplement for your country.

Yes, it is important for certain release scenarios. 

There are no compulsory deadlines for requests linked to termination of the employment contract or invalidity. There are no compulsory deadlines for requests linked to one of the aforementioned early release scenarios. 

The event triggering the early release must take place as of the day after the closing day of the cancellation period in order allow for the release of Link 2022.

Yes. It is possible to request the release of all or part of the assets.

However, the release option can only be used once: if you request the early release of only part of your assets, the remaining assets will remain locked in until maturity unless you are affected by another early release scenario.

Yes, but a special procedure will be set up. Any event that occurs as of the day after the closing date of the cancellation period (i.e., as of 19 November 2022) can give rise to the early release of the assets resulting from participation in the operation. Early release requests will be placed on hold and processed only after completion of the operation, after 22 December 2022 if a hard copy request is made. If you submit the request online, you can request the release as of the end of December.

When you take part in “Link”, you become a shareholder via the company mutual fund (FCPE) from which you receive shares. It is the Supervisory Board of the Link International Fund that exercises the voting rights attached to the ENGIE shares owned by the fund.

After two years of ownership of the shares, the FCPE will enjoy double voting rights for the shares subscribed to within the framework of the Link 2022 option.

The Supervisory Board of the “Link International” FCPE comprises four members, who are employees and unitholders representing employee and former employee unitholders and who are elected from among all unitholders, and four members representing the Company who have been appointed by ENGIE management.

In all instances, the number of Company representatives will be at most equal to the number of unitholder representatives.

The board meets at least once a year and is mandated to:

• Take important decisions regarding the operation of the fund (deciding on amendments to the FCPE Regulations, authorising merger and de-merger operations, etc.),
• Examine the management report, the fund’s annual accounts and monitor and audit the financial (investment policy, performance review), administrative and account management of the fund,
• Exercise the voting rights attached to the equity securities held in the fund portfolio,
• Represent the interests of the unitholders.